“I knew I was part of the problem.”
Set against a vivid, shifting backdrop of American landscapes, Robert Caisley’s SANTA FE offers three stark and darkly comedic explorations of 21st century Americana. From a pair of self-serving, fair-weather talent agents with a twisted sense of loyalty, a disastrous first date which spirals into a catastrophically oblivious non-apology, to the tequila-soaked musings of a couple of middle-aged salesmen, SANTA FE explores the dark side of the restless “American spirit” and the subtle (and not so subtle) consequences of an impulsive sense of exceptionalism.
Rich in wit and evocative imagery, SANTA FE offers a meditation on the limits of liberty, the weight of connection, and the fragile beauty of hope.
*SANTA FE will play 18 – 22 Mar, with a post-show discussion on 21 Mar
Age Suitability: 13+
Warnings: Some strong language
WRITTEN BY Robert Caisley
DIRECTED BY The Ensemble
LIGHTING DESIGN BY Emma Brennan
SET AND COSTUME DESIGN BY Jennifer Keane
SOUND DESIGN BY John J. O’Hagan
GRAPHIC DESIGN BY Bridget Ash
PRODUCER Emer O’Neill
PRODUCTION MANAGER Emma Brennan
PERFORMED BY Katie Lacey-Curtis, John J. O’Hagan, Jason Pasqua, Chris Will
TICKETS €19 | €17 (CONCESSION)
RUNNING TIME 90 MINS with 15 min interval
About the Company
Embracing the unpredictable and unknown, Happen/Chance Productions is dedicated to producing the work of lesser-known international playwrights through a collaborative, ensemble-based process.
Happen/Chance Productions was born out of the “Happen/Chance: The Show” which premiered as part of the Scene + Heard Festival of New Work in 2024. Producer Emer O’Neill and actor/director John J. O’Hagan discovered that they had a penchant for similar work and ways of making theatre so, in addition to continuing to present “Happen/Chance: The Show” around the Dublin area, Emer and John decided to venture into producing full theatrical works. SANTA FE is their first project in this vein. There is more on the horizon as Happen/Chance Productions has several other projects already in the works for 2025 and beyond.
Emer has spent the majority of her career in education, with a focus on drama since co-founding the Encore School of Performing Arts in Dublin in 1998. Prior to that, she worked as a primary school teacher. She has extensive experience in teaching, directing, producing, and scriptwriting.
John has spent the bulk of his career as an actor/director/teacher in the U.S. working at a number of regional theatres and serving as faculty and/or programme director for university based professional actor training programmes. He is one of the founding members of Bankside Arts Collective (based in Illinois), which is a co-producer on SANTA FE.